(Paulding County, GA) Major Clint Morris and Captain Dee Morris concluded their law enforcement careers with the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office. Captain Morris retired from the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office on March 13, 2024, with 34 years of service and she was hired on March 13, 1990, into then what was the Narcotics Unit. Major Morris began his law enforcement career with the Villa Rica Police Department in 1987. He came to the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office on August 17, 1989, and retired on October 5, 2023, with 36 years of law enforcement service.
The Morris’, who have been married for 34 years and have two adult children, were surrounded by family, friends, and co-workers who celebrated their careers at a ceremony held in their honor at the Sheriff’s Office recently. Together, the Morris’ storied careers have spanned nearly seven decades where they worked with three Sheriffs and within multiple divisions at the Sheriff’s Office.
The Morris’ rose through the ranks where Captain Morris eventually became the assistant division commander of our Juvenile Division and Major Morris became the Courthouse Security Division commander. The Juvenile Division, which is where Captain Morris found her calling in law enforcement, was where she got to work with and around the children of Paulding County. Major Morris spent the majority of his career in our Uniform Patrol Division where he was the division commander for many years. The Morris’ career allowed them to work in the following divisions and receive the below-listed accolades:

Early in Captain Morris’ career, she discovered that her passion was working with and for the youth of Paulding County. In 1995, Captain Morris and her father (Fred Fox) founded the Paulding County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for youth who had a difficult home life.
In 1997, Captain Morris attended D.A.R.E. instructor training in Macon, GA. Although Captain Morris was not the first D.A.R.E. instructor at the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, she is one of the most memorable. One of her most memorable moments was when she got to reunite with one of her former D.A.R.E. students when she was the guest speaker at his first D.A.R.E. graduation as a US Army D.A.R.E. instructor. In 1999, Captain Morris began taking a small group of D.A.R.E. students to Camp Pineland in LaGrange, GA for D.A.R.E. camp. That small group has grown and our Deputies now take dozens of students to two different weeks of camp.
In 2005, Captain Morris and Linda Verscharen shared the common goal of helping keep our youth off of drugs, especially Methamphetamine. It was then that the Paulding Meth Alliance was born. Eventually, the Paulding Meth Alliance became the Family Alliance of Paulding which is an organization that provides multiple services to youth including a visitation center for children involved in foster care. The center provides a safe place for children to continue their relationships with at-risk parents.
Captain Morris was also able to help streamline processes and create policies for training Deputies within the Juvenile Division. She helped professionalize the division and under her direction, allowed Deputies to create programs like the Junior Law Enforcement Academy.
Major Morris found his calling in the Uniform Patrol Division, where he spent most of his career. Beginning as a Deputy, Major Morris eventually became the Uniform Patrol Division commander. During his time in the Uniform Patrol Division, he played a pivotal role in helping our Deputies gain the ability to use speed detection devices. He also helped streamline policies and procedures and facilitated the procurement of much-needed equipment for the Uniform Patrol Division.
Sheriff Gary Gulledge stated, “It has been my honor to work with Dee and Clint for the entirety of my career. Dee has always been a voice for the children in our county who couldn’t be heard. Without her hard work and dedication, many children would not have been able to live a good, safe life. I have worked alongside Clint for many years too and am glad that he can retire. Congratulations, and good luck on your retirement.”
We are very proud of the career that both Major Morris and Captain Morris have had and we want to wish them well on their much-deserved retirement. Congratulations, we hope you get to travel, spend time with your family, and enjoy life.